New Year: New Poker Tournaments

Welcome back to Poker Newsvine in this New Year 2009. My hopes this year are for our friends in the U.S.A. to be free to legaly join us at the online poker tables.

First off I want to tell you whats on offer at the Million Dollar Poker Club for 2009. Not only can you get 200% sign up bonus, but also if the idea of winning $1,000,000 appeals to you then this is the place to be. Every week online poker players of the Million Dollar Poker Club get the chance to play in two free daily tournaments at 1pm and 8pm EST. The Qualifier Tournaments can win you your entrance into a weekly Million Dollar Tournament that plays out each Saturday at 3pm EST.

You can also play for your share of $10,000 guaranteed for as little as a $1 buy-in to the multi-table satellites which run every other day; Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday. The next $10,000 guaranteed final event runs on Sunday 18th January at 6pm EST. Don’t miss your chance to become a poker expert, join Million Dollar Poker Club now.

2009 is definitely the time to join Poker Time. First off you get up to $25 free upfront, no raked hands requirements, when you make your first deposit. On top of that, Poker Time also give 100% match bonus up to $100, which is released on earning poker points.

Everyone is talking about the new Poker Time weekly rake race. Make sure you don’t miss these $50,000 rake races. Payout levels vary depending on your tier, with the blue tier paying out 200 places! There are many other exhilarating tournaments available, including the ’Sit n Go Rush’ where you can ride your winning streak all the way to $25,000, as well as other regular guaranteed prize tournaments. No need to spend the winter nights hibernating, get on over and join the thrills at Poker Time.

Play Online Poker Rummy or Spades

Online Poker Games, Play Gin Rummy, or Play Spades online – The choice is yours!

 Pay No Rake is the newest in online poker sites with a difference – A big difference! Here you will get a great first deposit bonus of 100% up to $1000, but not only that, you can get up to 100% rakeback, paid daily!! This is unheard of in the online gaming industry, and is sure to be a big winner amongst the online poker community with both new and long standing players. They also offer re-load bonuses, and great action tournaments. Playing here is like being paid to play poker online. Start earning your poker rake back now – at PayNoRake

If playing poker online isn’t your thing, or you love classic card games but fancy something a bit more challenging, then rummy could be for you. There are several versions of rummy games, but Gin Rummy is the most popular and most played. The game differs in that there are 2 players, and each is dealt 10 cards. There is more to Rummy than that, but you can get all the informormation on how to play, at the gin rummy school. You may be surprised at just how many players are regularly playing online gin rummy. Don’t be left out, join the red hot rummy community online now

The game of spades has been a popular in America for a long time, but its only recently that playing spades online become available and popular. Spades is a different card game altogether to poker or rummy, but just like those games, it requires some skill to play. Spades online can be played from 1 player up to 4 players. Spadester provides an easy to understand guide to playing spades. You can play for fun or for real, There’s a $4 sign up bonus, and 100% deposit bonus on all deposits you make at Spadester. Join the great spades games community now!

Tournaments online – poker blackjack and kalooki

Jackpot Sit n Go online poker tournaments

Maui progressive jackpot tournament

If you’re a lover of poker online tournaments then Vulcan Poker has something special for you. The Maui jackpot tournaments are $5 + $1 Sit ‘n’ Go tournaments which are one-of-a-kind. Players who win five events in a row will not only collect the regular tournament prize, but they will also take the amazing Maui Jackpot Prize! The jackpot starts at $15,000 but as it’s a progressive, it can climb very steeply, so there’s a lot at stake here if you’re good enough. Even if you don’t manage first place each time, Vulcan Poker will also award a $200 compensation prize to players who can finish in first or second place in six consecutive tournaments. Are you good enough? Play Vulcan Poker Tournaments now.

$10,000 Guaranteed Kalooki 51 Rummy

$10,000 Guaranteed Kalooki 51

The tournament will begin on Sunday 16th November at 15:00 ET (20:00 GMT).
The buy-in is $55 with one available re-buy until tourney level 5 for money or for an entry seat!
This is your chance to receive a tourney seat by winning one of the lower-stake Multi Table Tournaments this weekend – as low as $3.25! Play Kalooki Rummy Tournaments now.

International Black Jack League

If online poker or rummy online don’t take your fancy just now, how about some fast-paced Elimination Blackjack online?  This is a fast paced action packed fight for survival, testing your skills against the dealer and other online blackjack players. Only the chip-stacks will determine how long you can survive, with the lowest chip-stack being eliminated in specified rounds.

There are great cash prizes, a live leader board, as well as the mysterious secret bet that you can use to give you the edge at a crucial point of the game. If you survive to climb up the leader board you’ll see your winnings pile up higher than your chip stack. This has to be the best Blackjack Tournament experience ever!

To take part in a tournament just click on the banner above, download and install the software and register your account.  The lobby click on the ‘play now’ button, then click the ‘Tournaments’ option and choose ‘Blackjack Tournaments’ on the drop-down menu.  Select your tournament type, between scheduled or Sit n Go, and then double click on it to either register or join. You are now on your way to a whole lot of online blackjack fun!

Skill Games Online For Americans

Update on Kentucky Internet gambling ruling

Unfortunately, Judge Thomas Wingate is making all interested parties to this highly controversial case wait until 17th of November, when at 10 a.m. a final forfeiture hearing will be heard.

At the last court hearing, Judge Wingate issued a ruling denying motions filed by the Interactive Gaming Council, and Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association to dismiss the case.

Of the ruling, the conclusion read: “We note that Opposing Groups and Lawyers argue any judicial interference of the Internet will create havoc. The doomsday argument does not ruffle the Court. The Internet, with all its benefits and advantages to modern day commerce and life, is still not above the law, whether on an international or municipal level.”

The ruling which keeps the seizure order in effect, states that it is amended such that “any of the Defendants 141 Domain Names, their respective registrants or their agent, or any other person with an interest or claim who installs the applicable software or device which has the capability to block and deny access to their on-line gambling sites from any users or consumers within the territorial boundaries of the Commonwealth shall be relieved of the effects of the Seizure Order and from any further proceedings in the instant civil forfeiture action.” Domains have 30 days to adhere.

In his statement, he also dismissed the stance taken by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) that online poker is a game of skill and therefore not illegal under Kentucky state law. The verdict claims: “In the end, no matter how skillful or cunning the player, who wins and who loses is determined by the hands the players hold.” In response the PPA said:  “We strongly disagree with Judge Wingate’s ruling that poker is not a game of skill. As demonstrated in the amicus brief we filed, skill plays an essential role in being a successful poker player.”

Anger over Steve Beshear’s actions has become so widespread that groups are forming and finding ways to hit back at Kentucky by refusing to buy certain Kentucky products, and websites are being set up for people to offer ideas on how to hit back at Kentucky. One such site is boycottkentucky.com. I also found on the PPA web site a prepared form which outraged Kentuckians can use to instantlysend a letter to Governor Beshear.  More news on this as I get it.

Play Spades Card Games Online

The game of spades is also known as Call Bridge. Spades is a descendant of the Whist family of card games, which also includes Bridge, Hearts, and Oh, Hell. Its major difference as compared to other whist variants is that, instead of trump being decided by the highest bidder or at random, the spade suit is always trump, hence its name.

A very popular game amongst Americans, Spades can be played online for fun or for real money, at multi tables. Come along and show your skill at spades, or if you are new to the game there is a ‘learn to play’ section. You get $4 sign up bonus, and 100% bonus on ALL deposits you make. Join the growing online spades community now.

million dollar guaranteed poker tournaments

Kentucky Internet domain outcome next week

The recent case of the seizure of 141 gambling Internet domains is being followed by many who have interests in the online gambling industry, as well as the global population of online games players, in particular poker players.

When Kentucky governor Steve Beshear took the unprecedented step of seizing the domains, the whole industry looked on in amazement. Who does this man think he is!? It was bad enough that George Bush casually signed the UIGEA, and took away the rights of honest, licensed, and regulated online casino and poker room operators to offer online gambling games to American residents.  Some of the domains included those owned by major online poker rooms such as Bodog, Full Tilt Poker, UB Poker, and PokerStars. This move by Steve Beshear can surely only fail, for he was not targeting illegal gambling sites, but fully licensed operators.

A formal hearing was held this week in a Franklin County courtroom, to determine the future of the 141 Internet gambling domain names in the Commonwealth. At the end of the proceedings, Judge Wingate stated that he would need one week to review both sides of the case and plans to announce his final ruling next Wednesday, 15th October. I will report on that next week, hopefully to be celebrating his  order to release all of the domains with immediate effect, which is what the outcome rightly should be.

$1000,000 guaranteed poker tournaments

Full Tilt Poker, one of the poker domains mentioned above, along with most of the other mentioned sites, have alternative measures in place should the domains be seized. You don’t have to worry if you are currently a member of Full Tilt Online Poker, for even IF Kentucky get thier way, it will have no effect on the poker games. New sites are already in place, and you will be able to sign up from them if you are not already a member.

Full Tilt gives one of the best sign up bonuses around, offering 100% up to $600. They also have some huge cash prize tournaments that are well worth going for. You can play in their million dollar monthly tournaments that guarantee a $100,000 prize pool. There are also happy hours, where you can earn three times the normal amount in Full Tilt Points, and my favourite for ending the week – The Sunday Brawl, where you can earn cash for each opponent you Knock Out in the $350K Knockout Bounty.

Full Tilt Poker accepts online poker players residing in the U.S. They are licensened by the Kanahwake Gaming Commission, and have many secure and easy ways to deposit and withdraw from you account. Don’t sit back and let those evil dictators take away your right to play, join the Full Tilt Poker Team now.

Poker Freeroll raided at CAP Euro

Barcelona Police Raid CAP Poker Freeroll

It seems from various reports that the CAP 2008 held in Barcelona at the end of September, overall went very well with one exception; A poker freeroll tournament was raided and brought to an end by Spanish police, no doubt putting a big dampener on the event for the organisers who work so hard to do everything above the law of whatever country is hosting the events. Here’s an extract of the statement from CasinoAffiliatePrograms.com website;

”On the afternoon of Saturday, September 27, undercover Spanish police arrived at the ASOP event being held in Barcelona’s Hotel Princesa Sofia. The police proceeded to terminate the event due to legality issues regarding the game’s prize fund. Roughly 40 players had been participating in the tournament at the time.”

”According to representatives, the company, which had made every effort to abide by all applicable local laws, was caught off guard by the action. CAP legal representatives had cleared all legal issues prior to the event, making it clear to the appropriate authorities that the tournament was a private, ‘free roll’ style event and not open to the public.”

“We don’t put these tournaments on without permission, which is exactly why we have a specific registration system and a number of checks that affiliates have to go through to gain the password. This is on top of a number of other components to ensure we run an event that is completely legal,” stated Alex Pratt, an organizer for CAP Euro. “We obviously checked on Catalan and Spanish law prior to this event. The issue at this point seems to have arisen from a little-publicized change in Catalan law that occurred within the past year.”  No arrests were made, and fines levied by Spanish authorities were very minimal.

Kentucky Governor wants 141 gambling sites

News that spread like wildfire amongst gambling sites recently came from the State of Kentucky, where a court ruled that the state can seize the URLs of 141 internet gambling sites, that Kentucky governor Steve Beshear claims are illegal gambling sites. In what seemed to me to be the ramblings of a man who has no consideration what-so-ever for his constituents, rather his sole aim being to protect local sports betting and the taxes generated from it, he is quoted as saying ‘’ Unlicensed, unregulated, illegal internet gambling poses a tremendous threat to the citizens of the Commonwealth because of its ease, availability and anonymity’’. Whilst justice and public safety secretary J. Michael Brown said ‘’ Illegal internet gambling poses a unique threat to our Commonwealth. For individuals, particularly our youth, it is tantamount to a virtual home invasion’’.

At a separate hearing on Thursday, the domain name registrars of the affected sites were asked formally for control of the URLs to be handed over. However, a temporary restraint was placed on any attempt to seize control of the domain names of the sites until the owners / operators of those sites have had their say in court.  Until such time, the domain names will be retained by their owners.

Don’t worry too much about these rantings, as most, if not all of the 141 internet gambling sites listed for seizure are not illegal, in fact they are licensed and regulated, and furthermore, they have alternate measures already in hand to re-direct the websites, should the Kentucky court turn out to be as crazy as the Kentucky Governor.

S 3616 – Internet Skill Game Licensing and Control Act

This week Senator Robert Menendez, of New Jersey, introduced a new bill, S 3616. This bill provides for the licensing of Internet skill game facilities, and provides for a full regulatory framework for skill games. The bill defines an Internet skill game as one ‘that uses simulated cards, dice, or tiles in which success is predominantly determined by the skill of the players, including poker, bridge, and mah jong’. This is one of the first bills to be released in the United States Congress that specifically identifies online poker.

In addition, S 3616 creates a regulatory and licensing framework that makes it unlawful for a person to operate an Internet skill game facility in interstate or foreign commerce without a license issued to such person.  If S 3616 were to become law, harsh penalties would be imposed on those who operate under its radar. The lengthy bill describes the criteria needed to be awarded a license as well as the information necessary for full disclosure of applicants, including detailed background checks.

More news on this as and when it happens.  Meanwhile it’s time for some Internet Rummy! This is available for players in U.S.A. Play for free or play for real and double your money up to $200. Take part in the daily freerolls, or join Gin Rummy, Oklahoma, Kaluki and Traditional Rummy Tournaments. And there’s a ‘learn how to play’ section if you haven’t played Internet rummy before. Don’t be like the Kentucky Guv, get on over and have some fun playing Rummy Royal!